Snowplow



Oct. 11, 1932.

G. L. GERLACH S NOWPLOW Filed July 6. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l l l I I i2 i2 g IL I:

/ G.L.Ge1 lam JFWMW Oct. 11, 1932. G. 1.. GERLACH S NOWPLOW Filed July 6. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED STATES GEORGE L. GERLACH, OF HARRISON, NEBRASKA SNOWPLOW Application filed July 6, 1931. Serial No. 549,006.

to the outer ends of the shelf 3; In order to V This invention aims to provide a simple but effective means for removlng snow from a road, railroad track or other place, and to provide novel means whereby a snow removing instrumentality may be operated from a tractor or other vehicle.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the de- 5 tails of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departlng from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in front elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan, parts Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the device mounted on the tractor;

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line being broken I 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a plan of the conveyor chain, In carrying out the invention there is provided a support, which is denoted generally by the numeral 1. The support 1 may em 85 body a vertical back plate 2, provided, in-

termediate its top and bottom, with a forwardly projecting shelf 3 which inclines downwardly and inwardly, from the opposite sides of the machine, toward the longitudinal median plane, as Figure 1 will clearly show. The numeral 4 marks a downwardly and forwardly inclined scoop which is connected to the forward edge of the shelf 3, as shown in Figure 4. The scoop 4 has ver tical side, walls5 which extend bac-kwardly facilitate the passage of the scoop over the ground, it is provided with shoes'6, although any equivalent for the's'pecific shoesshow'n, may be supplied.

Inverted, L-shaped bearings 7 project for-v wardly and downwardly from the back plate 2 and are locatednear to the sides of the machine, as shown in Figurel. Intheback plate 2 and-in the bearings 7 shafts 8 and 10 are j ournaled forrotation. The shafts'8 and 10 are placed near to the upper, outer ends'of the shelf 3. A shaft9 is journaled in the back plate 2 and is located at the central, lowermost portion of the shelf 3. The

shafts 8, 9 and 10 are horizontally disposed and extend parallel to thejdirection of travel of the machine. .Spro'cket wheels 12 are mounted on'the shafts 8, 9 and 10. About the sprocket wheels 12.is trained a sprocket chain 14, the constituent plate-like links of which have openings 15, for the reception of way. As shown, but not of necessity, the

support 1 is secured on top of a bracket 17 having rearwardly extended arms 27, which are pivotally mounted at 18 on the aXle'of a tractor 19, the construction being such that the snow cleaning machine can have a vertical movement, thereby enabling the scoop 4 to work onthe ground;

As to the driving mechanism, the shaft 8 may be a tubular shaft, as shown in Figure 4, and into this shaft is telescoped, for longitudinal movement, a squared shaft 20, the

construction being such that when the shaft 20 is rotated, the'shaft 8 will be rotated also. By means of a universal j oint21 the' rear end of the shaft is connected to a shaft 22,

extended backwardly along the tractor 19.

the shaft 28 and is provided with suitable means 32, accessible from the drivers seat of the tractor 19, whereby the driver can reverse the rotation of the shaft 28, and parts connected with it at will. 7 V

In practical operation,'the machine is advanced over the ground by the tractor 19, or in any other suitable way. The snow is forced upwardly and backwardly, along the scoop 4, between the sides 5 of the scoop, and the snow is carried on the V-shaped shelf 3, underneath the sprocket chain 14. When the sprocket chain is put into operation, the snow is raked by the blades 16 on the sprocket chain 14, upwardly along the shelf 3, and

out at one side of the vehicle. The operator can cause the snow to be raked out of the machine, at either side, as he may prefer, by a proper manipulation of the reverse gear 31. The sprocket chain 14 and the blades 16 not only serve as a conveyor for the snow, out the snow, as well, is thoroughly broken up, and is put in such condition that it can be scraped out of the machine, at either side, by the action of the blades 16 on the sprocket chain 14. 7

It has been pointed out hereinbefore that it is desirable to have the snow removing mechanism capable of vertical movement, so as to conform to the surface of the ground. The mounting at 18 affords this. Owing to the fact that a telescopic joint at 208 is provided in the driving shaft, and because the universal oints 21 and 23 are supplied, the machine will continue to work properly, notwithstanding any up and down move- ,.,-a ment that the snow removlng means may have, as it follows the surface of the roadway.

The drives are simple. Motion is derived from the power driven shaft 30 of the tractor 19. The bevelled gears 29 transmit motion to the shaft 28, and from the shaft 28, motion is transmitted to the shaft 24 by the bevelled gears 26. The universal joint 23 transmits motion to the shaft 22, and the shaftv 20 is rotated through the universal joint 21. The shaft 20, being of rectangular cross section, imparts rotation to the shaft 8, which, together with the corresponding sprocket wheel 12, operates the sprocket chain V The device is simple in construction, but

a vehicle having a frontaxle, and ground 7 wheels journaled on said axle, of a bracket and means for mounting the bracket on sald axle forvertical swinging movement in a direction parallel to the line of advance of the vehicle, a substantially vertical back plate disposed transversely of the vehicle and carried by the bracket, a V-shaped shelf proj ecting forwardly from the back plate and mounted on the bracket, a downwardly and forwardly inclined scoop at the forward edge of the shelf and mounted on the bracket, a

ground-engaging shoe at the forward end of the scoop and supporting the scoop for vertical swinging movement on the said axle, sprocket wheels supported 7 for rotation on the back plate, two of the sprocket wheels being located adjacent to the outer ends of the shelf and symmetrically with re spect to a vertical plane passing through the lowermost portion of the shelf, a third of the sprocket wheels being located directly above said lowermost portion of the shelf, a belt conveyor engaged around the sprocket wheels and having elements movable along the shelf,

to remove snow therefrom, and mechanism for operating one of the sprocket wheels.

2. In a snow plow, the combination with a vehicle having a front axle, ground wheels journaled on said axle, and a transverse, power-driven shaft on the lower, rear portion of the vehicle, of a bracket'and means for mounting the bracket on said axle for vertical swinging movement in a direction parallel to the line of advance of the vehicle, a substantially vertical back plate disposed transversally of the vehicle and mounted on the bracket, a V-shaped shelf projecting for-v V wardly from the back plate and mounted on the bracket, a downwardly and forwardly inclined scoop at the forward edge of the shelf, a ground-engaging shoe at the forward end of the scoop and supporting the scoop for vertical swinging movement on said axle, sprocket wheels supported for rotation on the back plate, two of the sprocket wheels'being located adjacent to the outer ends of the shelf and symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane passing through the lowermost portion of the shelf, a third of the sprocket wheels being located directly above said' lowermost portion of the shelf, a belt conveyor engaged around the sprocket wheels and having elements movable along the shelf, to remove snow therefrom, a backwardly-extended driven shaft journaled in the back plate and carrying one of said two sprocket wheels the driven shaft therefore being located far enough from the said Vertical plane so that the driven shaft can extend backwardly along one side of the vehicle, means for supporting the rear portion of the driven shaft for rotation on the vehicle, and downwardly extended gearing conecting the rear end of the driven shaft with the said driven shaft of the vehicle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed m signature. GEORGE L. ERLACH. 

